Abstract
There are more than 100 million forcibly displaced persons (FDPs) in the world today,
including a high number of people who experience neurologic symptoms and presentations.
This review summarizes the conceptual frameworks for understanding neurological health
risks and conditions across the migration journey (premigration, migration journey,
and postmigration) and life span, including special attention to pediatric FDPs. The
interaction with psychiatric illness is discussed, as well as the available published
data on neurologic presentations in FDPs in the medical literature. A social determinant
of health lens is used to provide ways in which forcible displacement can influence
brain health and neurological outcomes. Priorities and future needs for the neurological
care of refugees and other FDPs are suggested.
Keywords
refugees - asylum seekers - forcibly displaced persons - migration - health disparities
- social determinants of health